What Is Healthy Eating? What Is A Good Diet?

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Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 16 Jun 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Healthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life. Diet is often referred to as some dietary regimen for losing weight. However, diet simply means what food we eat in the course of a 24-hour, one week, or one month, etc. period. A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A good diet must include several food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a human needs for good health.

How do you define healthy eating?

The crucial part of healthy eating is a balanced diet. A balanced diet - or a good diet - means consuming from all the different good groups in the right quantities. Nutritionists say there are five main food groups - whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein, diary, and fat & sugar.

Whole grains

According to the USDA (United States Dept. of Agriculture) we should consume at least 3 ounces of whole grains per day. A whole grain, unlike refined grains, still has the bran and the germ attached. Whole grains are rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins. When grains are refined the bran and germ are removed.

It is not possible to know whether food is made from whole grain just by looking at it. To be really sure you have to read the label. In the list of ingredients, the word whole or wholegrain needs to appear before the name of the grain.

Whole grain products include breads, pastas and cereals - they need to be made with 100% whole grain. Whole grain foods and flours include 100% whole wheat, brown rice, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oatmeal (oats), spelt and wild rice.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables have a high vitamin, mineral and fiber content - these nutrients are vital for your body to function well. Several studies have proven that a good intake of fruit and vegetables may protect from developing heart disease, diabetes type 2, and cancer.

Most health departments throughout the world recommend that we consume five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. This could include either fresh, frozen or canned, or dried fruit and veggies. A portion means either one large fruit, such as an apple, mango, or a banana, or three heaped tablespoons of vegetables. It could also include one glass of 100% fruit or vegetable juice. A fruit/vegetable drink is one portion, no matter how big it is. Beans and pulses can also count as one portion.

Protein

We need protein for the building and repairing of tissue in our body. Protein-rich foods also include essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, zinc, as well as B vitamins. The NHS (National Health Service) of the UK says that proteins should make up about 20% of our nutritional intake. The following foods are good sources of protein:

• Meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Beans
• Nuts
• Quorn
• Soya (includes tofu)

Nutritionists advise that the fat in meat should be trimmed and drained away after cooking. The skin should be removed from poultry. For people who are not vegetarians, nutritionist advise we consume fish at least twice a week, preferably fish rich in omega oils, such as trout, fresh tuna, sardines, mackerel and salmon. The canning process of tuna removes the essential oils, hence only fresh tuna is considered as an oily fish.

It is better for your health to grill, roast or microwave meats and fish, rather than frying them.

Vegans, who do not eat any foods from animal sources, may get their protein from nuts, seeds, soya, beans and quorn. Vegans may have to supplement their zinc and B12 vitamin intake as these foods are not rich in them.

Dairy

Although butter, cream and even sometimes eggs are often classed as dairy products, in nutrition they are more frequently placed in the protein (eggs) or fat & sugar category. Dairy products are a good source of calcium which is important for healthy bones and teeth. Dairy products include milk, yoghurts, cheese, and some soya dairy products. Nutritionists say we should aim for low fat dairy products.

People who do not consume animal sourced foods can get their calcium intake from other products, such as broccoli, cabbage and soya milk and yoghurts with added calcium.

Fats and sugars

These include sugar, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, jam, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, non-diet sodas, etc. - all products with a very high fat or sugar content.

There are two basic types of fats - saturated and unsaturated. Cream, margarine and fried foods are high in saturated fats, while vegetable oils and oily fish are rich in unsaturated fats. Saturated fat consumption should be kept to a minimum because excess consumption significantly increases the risk of developing such diseases as heart disease.

Even sugary foods and drinks, like some sodas and sweets should be kept to a minimum because they are high in calories and bad for your teeth.

Healthy eating and the World Health Organization (WHO)

The WHO makes the following 5 recommendations - they apply both to populations and individuals:

• We should aim for an energy balance and a healthy bodyweight.


• We should limit our energy consumption from total fats. We should also aim for more unsaturated fats and less saturated fats.


• We should up our consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.


• We should consume as little simple sugars are possible.


• As well as making sure our salt is iodized, we should also limit our consumption of salt/sodium.

WHO also recommends that we:

• Consume enough vital amino acids to provide "cellular replenishment and transport proteins". These can be found in animal sourced proteins and some selected plant sourced proteins. A combination of other plants, with the exception of rice and beans, may also provide essential amino acids.


• Consume essential quantities of vitamins and certain minerals.


• Should avoid directly poisonous and carcinogenic substances.


• Avoid consuming foods that may are contaminated with human pathogens, such as E. coli and tapeworm eggs.

The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) issued by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)

The HEI is a measure of diet quality that reviews how people are conforming to Federal dietary guidance. The HEI was first formulated by the USDA in 1995 and was renewed in 2005. The standards were created using a density approach - they are expressed as a percentage of calories per 1,000 calories. The components of the 2005-HEI can be seen below:

Healthy Eating Index - 2005 components and standards for scoring¹

• Total Fruit (includes 100% juice)
  Maximum points 5
  Standard for maximum score ≥0.8 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Fruit


• Whole Fruit (not juice)
  Maximum points 5
  Standard for maximum score ≥0.4 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Whole Fruit


• Total Vegetables
  Maximum points 5
  Standard for maximum score ≥1.1 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Vegetables


• Dark Green and Orange No Dark Green or Orange Vegetables and Legumes²
  Maximum points 5
  Standard for maximum score ≥0.4 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No dark green or orange Vegetables or Legumes


• Total Grains
  Maximum points 5
  Standard for maximum score ≥3.0 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Grains


• Whole Grains
  Maximum points 5
  Standard for maximum score ≥1.5 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Whole Grains


• Milk³
  Maximum points 10
  Standard for maximum score ≥1.3 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Milk


• Meat and Beans
  Maximum points 10
  Standard for maximum score ≥2.5 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Meat or Beans


• Oils⁴
  Maximum points 10
  Standard for maximum score ≥12 grams per 1,000 kcal
  Standard for minimum score zero - No Oil


• Saturated Fat
  Maximum points 10
  Standard for maximum score ≤7% of energy⁵
  Standard for minimum score zero - ≥15% of energy


• Sodium
  Maximum points 10
  Standard for maximum score ≤0.7 gram per 1,000 kcal⁵
  Standard for minimum score zero - ≥2.0 grams per 1,000 kcal


• Calories from Solid Fats, Alcoholic beverages, and Added Sugars (SoFAAS)
  Maximum points 20
  Standard for maximum score ≤20% of energy
  Standard for minimum score zero - ≥50% of energy

¹ Intakes between the minimum and maximum levels are scored proportionately, except for Saturated Fat and Sodium (see note 5).
² Legumes counted as vegetables only after Meat and Beans standard is met.
³ Includes all milk products, such as fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese, and soy beverages.
⁴ Includes nonhydrogenated vegetable oils and oils in fish, nuts, and seeds.
⁵ Saturated Fat and Sodium get a score of 8 for the intake levels that reflect the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, <10% of calories from saturated fat and 1.1 grams of sodium/1,000 kcal, respectively.

Some facts

• Approximately 24 million people in the UK are overweight or obese, that is out of a total population of 61 million. Obesity rates in the UK will reach 25% of the adult population by 2010 if rates continue to grow at their present speed. The USA has already reached this point, and people continue getting fatter. The states of Mississippi and Alabama have obesity rates above 30%, while 22 other states have obesity rates all over 25%.


• At least 200,000 people in the UK die prematurely each year as a result of stroke, coronary heart disease and some other illnesses that are linked to unhealthy eating and lifestyle. Many who do not die do not enjoy a painless, unrestricted and disability-free old age. According to many studies, the USA ranks last among industrialized countries when it comes to preventable deaths - many of these deaths are due to poor diet, as well as lack of exercise.


• Nutritionists say that over four-fifths of men and over two-thirds of women consume excessive amounts of dietary salt in the UK. What many don't know is that 75% of their salt intake is already in the food they buy.


• It is estimated that one third of all cancers could be prevented if everybody had a good diet. Healthy eating also protects from diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, strokes, and rotting teeth.

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Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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